The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has deployed union members to the Capitol to urge lawmakers to pass legislation that it says would improve warehouse safety and protect striking workers.
House Bill 6907 would create limits on production quotas used by warehouse distribution centers, along with protections for warehouse workers against quotas.
The Teamsters say this would help prevent stress-related work injuries.
“This bill would send a message to abusive employers across the state that they cannot expect to continue the practice of exploiting their workforce or illegally stalling out workers in contract negotiations,” said Tony Lepore, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 671. “The more protections workers have, the more likely it is that workplace injuries and strikes can be avoided altogether.”
House Bill 6904 would allow workers on strike to collect unemployment benefits after two weeks.
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association and other industry groups are opposed to both bills.Â
The Teamsters say the two bills would help protect workers from abusive behavior by employers.
Workers from the i-Health Inc. warehouse in Enfield recently testified in favor of the legislation, based on personal experience. The workers, according to the Teamsters, organized a union to address what they considered mistreatment by their employer, including forced overtime, and were fired after going on strike.
Rocco Calo, Teamsters vice president for the eastern region, applauded the legislature for its 2022 passage of a captive audience law, which prohibits employers from mandating meetings at which the employer shares its views on religious or political matters, including unionization.
The CBIA also opposed the captive audience law.Â
